Yamaha buys KYB...effect?

no

Honda has owned most or all of Showa forever, hasnt stopped Honda from using KYB and other companies from using Showa.

Buying them and moving production to india. Nice.

I'm gonna go with...none?

Exactly. More corporate bullshit. Refreshing to know the Japanese are not above those tactics, though. The almighty dollar (or in this case, yen) rules again. Anyone know the Japanese translation for "Hey Pianobreath, you suck!"?

xD global crisis...It's very easy not buy KYB or YAMAHA.

sucks arse but it's going to improve business margin and most likely be backed up by a productivity increase, i see that this manufacturing centre is being built next to Yamaha so makes R&D easier, faster, more efficient.

they also have another 15 manufacturing bases around the globe so I doubt the whole thing is going to India, suppose time will tell on that.

Wanna make money? Goto India !

When I see comments like this my head nearly explodes. The "almighty dollar" ruling thing starts with YOU the END USER buying something and goes BACK from there. We've been manufacturing automotive and motorcycle products in the US since 1977 with our main competitors pretty much various Asian countries and I can assure you that the only thing that matters, quality always assumed to be equal (and very good), is price. No one gives a shit where something is made when it actually comes down to buying. If a company goes to the trouble of sourcing components in another country it was because the alternative was selling nothing at all. And this from the most relentless Made-in-the-USA-or-we-don't-sell-it company in existence.

doesnt yamaha also own ohlins? and i thought they owned kayaba already

India? Oh man.....They will start coming with some funky software written by an IIT grad soon. Next a red dot on the forks soon followed by a horrible customer service experience. I've seen this movie before.

From the press release "Suspension components produced through this joint venture will be the company’s largest platform components in terms of procurement value, and among the most important components that contribute to the nature of the products. This initiative which allows for the development and production of main components at the joint venture company will not only increase product competitiveness and reduce costs, but will also contribute to improvement in innovation, technology, and brand image.”

Kayaba’s new suspension manufacturing plant will be built next to Yamaha's new motorcycle manufacturing plant in Chennai, India.


I've been in deals involving this type of outsourcing. The part where it says "Will not only increase product competitiveness and reduce costs, but will also contribute to improvements in innovation, technology".... This is total crap. This is the company bean counters speaking. It's the political animals inside a company making a bad decision that destroy brands while they collect a paychecks and claim to reduce costs. Yes, costs will go down. But locating this mfg plant to India will result in back biting, "not invented here" thinking (meaning the Indian engineers will fight the ideas/ concepts not invented by them) and a slow but downward slide of product quality and innovation will take place. I've seen this many times in the high tech world. Sad... short sided. Big mistake.

This is an opportunity for companies like Showa and aftermarket companies like FOX Shox's to innovate and leave KYB's motorcycle group in the dust.